2 days ago
Between worry and hope: Finding peace amid unrest
Her usual pleasant face has lines of worry. Our conversation usually begins with topics of humour that are about life, and especially children.
One of the recent ones was about keeping kids and teenagers entertained during summer holidays. She told me how her daughter declared on the very first day that she was bored and expressed how much she missed her friends.
Thanks for the apps that make it possible to stay in touch. WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, etc, must be overactive as more and more schools are closing for the summer. But even this means they need content for their social media. So parents need to plan with their offspring.
My friend, however, is now concerned about something else. Her parents have been on holiday in one of the places that now falls under the category of regional unrest. They felt safe until yesterday, but the blasting has changed everything.
Fear has set in, and this must be the case with a lot of other families. She said she just wants her parents to get back as soon as possible.
The reality changes so fast in life. A few days ago, there was a plane crash in Ahmedabad, India. Then, some people constantly live with uncertainties in their lives in the regions of unrest and conflict, as in the case of Gaza, where children have never known a proper home with rooms, a beautiful holiday, or joy without fear. Yet, they survive because their situation makes them tougher. And many dare to dream.
Can there be dreams when they have not experienced peace yet, or the charms of life?
Their wounds must be healed, but they could be deep. And what can these be healed with?
Can they be healed with better experiences that will also become part of their memories?
Fear, anger and moments might become their collective identity for the children who suffer in their early lives. Only a psychologist or a psychiatrist might be able to authenticate that thought, but the reality is that they are also part of this earth. And when they grow up, there is not much time to catch up and merge with society to succeed. Because life is full of expectations.
Just say these two words out loud: "expecting" and "accepting". Expectations lead you to stress; life has taught you that not all your expectations are going to be met. Acceptance, on the other hand, is the one that will solve most of the problems.
It was the late Shaikh Khalfan al Esry who taught me the power of acceptance. When going through the anxiety of a situation, he calmly said, 'Accept the situation. And you will be in control. You will realise how you will come up with the solutions.'
But it is not easy because your mind builds so many situations and possibilities. But once you succeed in accepting the situation and overcoming your questions such as, 'Why me?' you realise you have the power and you are not weak anymore.
We have to believe tomorrow is better. You must want to make it better. If we have been making mistakes, we need to find a way to break the pattern. We need to take a break to see the big picture. Because we need not be in an area of conflict to be troubled in life, it could be within our minds. The reasons could be medical, and one might need professional assistance, but even then, one needs a break to bring peace to mind.
For now, it is the worry of having everyone reach home safely from regions that are experiencing unrest. But we have to remember worry does not give us any comfort; we need to work with hope and determination.
